William and Kate’s beloved dog Lupo dies at age nine

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, are mourning the loss of their pet dog Lupo.

The couple and their children, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2, have lost a key member of their family as royalty revealed that their beloved English Cocker Spaniel passed away after nine years in the family. . .

In a post on their Kensington Royal Instagram account, they wrote: “Very sadly this past weekend, our beloved dog, Lupo, passed away. He has been in the heart of our family for the past nine years and will be greatly missed. – BATHROOM “

The dog was often featured in photos with the family, and the couple’s eldest son, Prince George, had a special fondness for the black puppy.

Lupo was raised from a dog owned by Catherine’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and was given to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

It was even thought that Lupo helped them choose a nickname for Prince George when Catherine was pregnant, after she and William scattered pieces of paper with various names on the ground, and Lupo was drawn to the one that said “George”.

Earlier this year, the Duchess joked about the family pet while visiting the Savannah House, a facility run by the social justice charity Extern, in County Kildare.

While playing ping pong, the royalty said, “We try to do this at home, but our dog keeps catching the ping pong balls.”

Lupo was a family affair, her mother Ella was owned by Carole and Michael Middleton, the Duchess’s parents. She is still alive and Lupo (which means wolf in Italian) has died at a relatively young age from being a cocker spaniel. Kensington Palace refused to discuss the cause of death.

In an Instagram post, James Middleton wrote about his sister’s devastation.

“It is with great sadness that Lupo, my sister Catherine’s beloved dog and her family passed away. Lupo was the son of Ella, brother of Zulu, Inka & Luna,” Middleton wrote.

“Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a dog. For those who have never had a dog, it can be difficult to understand the loss. However, those who have loved a dog know the truth: a dog is not just a pet; it is a family member, a best friend, a loyal partner, a teacher, and a therapist. “

He said the loss of a dog was “in almost every way comparable to the loss of a human loved one” and said Lupo’s death had “sparked a wave of emotions” over the death of his own dog Tilly in 2017. .

“There isn’t much of a rulebook on how to cry for a dog,” Mr. Middleton posted, “but I said a prayer, lit a candle, and took Ella (mom) out for a long walk to pass the time reminiscing about Lupo. “

Meanwhile, Prince William recently spoke about his life at home with his children during the coronavirus pandemic, as he admitted that George loves the outdoors and is like a “caged animal” when he can’t get out.

He said, “Seeing my kids, seeing the passion in their eyes and the love of being outdoors. They find an insect or they love to watch the bees make honey. George, particularly, if he’s not outdoors, it’s like a caged animal … needs to get out. “